Paddy growers in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts have registered a bumper harvest this season, registering a record yield of 7.5 tonnes per hectare under the conventional method and 9.5 tonnes under the System of Rice Intensification which was subsequently rechristened as ‘Rajarajan 1000' method.
A total of 37,300 hectares was brought under ‘samba' cultivation including 26,300 hectares in Ariyalur district and 11,000 hectares in Perambalur district. Of these, about 18,000 hectares are covered under the ‘Rajarajan 1000' method.
Officials said that although floods during last October and November had caused setback to cultivation, farmers had raised the nurseries for the second time. “The harvest was delayed by two months and extended up to the middle of March due to the raising of the late samba variety,” officials said.
Farmers of Jayankondam and Andimadam blocks raised CR 1009 variety, while CO-43 was the major variety in Tirumanur and T. Pazhur blocks. In a few villages in Ariyalur district, farmers had raised ADT-39. In Perambalur district, the variety opted was mainly short duration crops such as CO-43, ADT-45, and ADT-43 sources said.
With the completion of the ‘samba' harvest, farmers have taken up ‘navarai' cultivation now. Official expect about 1,300 hectares to be brought under the ‘navarai' this season. Veppanthattai block accounted for a vast extent of ‘navarai' variety where 700 hectares had been covered so far.
Sources said with the adequate availability of water for irrigation, farmers are hopeful of registering robust returns from the ‘navarai' crop. The harvest would be completed by around early June. Most farmers have raised ADT-50 variety, sources said.
